Literacy In The News :: Spanning the US
 |
Wilmington Biz: 10.31.2020 by Danielle Saintard Valiente, Board Member-Cape Fear Literacy Council
I know you have
heard the saying it only takes one seed...
Sometimes, we feel
if we plant many seeds, but only one grows, then it was worth our time,
patience, care and effort. The CFLC plants many seeds, and those seeds are monitored
and cared for until they flourish, but what happens after they flourish? Oh,
please do tell!
My husband
Jean-Pierre was that one little seed. He moved from Santiago, Chile to
Wilmington in 2006. He was 26 years old, raised in a Spanish-speaking household
and attended a French school, but did not know any English. Actually, JP had
failed English in elementary school, but here he was, moving to the United
States as an adult, with no knowledge of the language.
When JP was in
Chile, he was a successful personal trainer managing a fitness facility. He was
competent, educated and intelligent. However, when JP came to the United
States, he felt incompetent, uneducated and unintelligent. His employment
opportunities were difficult because he was unable to communicate. He was
depressed and discouraged, so he sought for help. He found free English classes
at the CFLC, which he attended during the day, while he worked as a bus boy a
night- a job that did not require him to speak.
After taking English classes for several months, JP was able to start working in gyms once again, but he was told he needed to shadow other employees and work unpaid until he improved his English. Even though he had the experience and the skillset, without knowing English, he felt he was being demoted for being less competent. The language barrier became a dream barrier.
JP remained consistent with his English classes at the CFLC so that he could work with clients again, giving him his career back, but in the United States. READ MORE ➤➤
 |
Daily Bulldog: 11.01.2020
Literacy
Volunteers of Franklin and Somerset Counties held their
2020 Annual Meeting open to the public on Oct. 28. It was produced using
“smart” television technology and the internet in all three of their learning
center locations - Farmington, Livermore Falls, and Phillips - and following
the Maine Center for Disease Control guidelines. This enabled participants to
attend virtually as well as in person. There were 22 people in attendance.
The meeting
featured poetry readings from four of this year's poetry contest winners:
Margaret Bremner, Katrina Machetta, Nancy Romines-Walters and Anna Crockett.
Annual business was conducted and members of the community were recognized with
the Hope, Health and Happiness Honors.
“Pillars of
Support” Honors went to United Way of the Tri-Valley Area, Franklin County
Adult Basic Education, Spruce Mountain Adult Basic Education, and the Maine
Humanities Council for their partnership in achieving the LVFSC mission (to
empower adults through tutoring in reading, writing, math, technology, and ESOL
and promote literacy in the community).
“Community
Connectors” Honors went to volunteers who gave invaluable time, energy, ideas,
courage, and tenacity to utilize their literacy work to strengthen the bonds of
community. Collectively, they keep the learning going: mailing teaching
packets, sorting and delivering books, trying new teaching tools and digital
platforms, teaming to build programming, creating videos to share, making sure
learners can get to class, and staying in touch. They are Rita Cantor, Becky
Jasch, Emily scribner [sic], Dan Palmer, Maggie Davis, Brianna Rush, Elizabeth Cooke,
Marlene Bryant, Danielle Hamlin, and Susan Thorson.
“Learners who Lead” Honors went to students who use their courage, tenacity, creativity, and passion to keep the learning going, despite many odds, and they are Brittanny Savage, Dorothy Richard, Lorrie Chicoine, Anna Crocket, Cindy Welch, and Matilda Holt. READ MORE ➤➤
 |
Learning Connection: Oct/Nov 2020
Let’s face it— times are tough, and many of
us may struggle to find a healthy coping mechanism to reduce our stress. The
good news is, there are proven, research backed benefits that show reading may
help!
Reading has been found to:
• Strengthen connectivity in our brains
• Increase our ability for empathy
• Increase vocabulary
• Fight age-related cognitive decline
• Reduce stress
• Promote a good night’s sleep
• Provide a healthy escape that may
alleviate depression
• Increase life expectancy up to two years
So next time you’re feeling a little “blue,”
grab a book and take your mind to a healthier space.
Introducing News Crew
Join us at our weekly News Crew meeting, Wednesdays from 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. on Zoom. Here, with Library Assistant Sandra, we will discuss current events and articles from News for You, a publication with easy-to read news stories. READ MORE ➤➤
 |
Kentucky New Era: 11.04.2020 by Tonya S. Grace
Organizers of
Christian County’s annual Beverly Whitfield Memorial Community Reader Day
wanted to find a way to offer this year’s event in spite of the restrictions of
COVID-19.
They found it
online, with a format that will feature 12 volunteers from the community
reading two different books live on the Christian
County Literacy Council’s Facebook page.
“We want to
encourage children to read, (for) their curiosity to be peaked as well as (for)
their parents and anyone around them just to encourage reading,” noted Francene
Gilmer, the council’s new executive director who was hired in August to lead
the organization.
Gilmer said the
council wanted to be able to offer something for youth this year, and she noted
that hosting a virtual event was the next best thing to having the in-person
program.
“We invite anybody
to check out our Facebook page,” the director said, noting that people can find
information about the council, get book recommendations and tips for family
reading.
She observed that the digital platform is another way to use the council’s services, and Gilmer added that members hope to pick back up with their larger team of reader volunteers in 2021. READ MORE ➤➤
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment